(Catherine Wilson – The Interpreter) After months of political uncertainty, Romania’s presidential election on 18 May delivered a euphoric victory for the pro-European and pro-democracy supporters of centrist candidate Nicuşor Dan, the 55-year-old mayor of Bucharest. It has sent a clear message that the largest Balkan state, located south of Ukraine and on the frontline of tensions with Russia, will continue its important role in the European Union as well as NATO. In the second polling, Dan, who stood as an independent, took 54 per cent of votes. In doing so, Dan dramatically deflated weeks of hyperbolic predictions by the opposing candidate, George Simion, leader of the right-wing Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) Party. Having lead in the first round of polling on 4 May, Simion lagged with 46 per cent in the final run-off.
How Romania defied Putin’s interference to choose democracy over division | Lowy Institute
